Collapsible tube.



E. J. VOLK.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE.

APPLICATION FILED car. 1. I918.

1,29,8. Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

/O a l l a WWW ED'WARD J. VOLK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 11, 1919.

7 Application filed October 7, 1918. Serial No. 257,153.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. VoLK, a

Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible- Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible tubes employed for such fluids as tooth paste,

shavin cream, paint and the like, the material eing discharged from the tube by compression of the body of the tube.

The object of the present invention is to reduce the cost 'of the tube by omitting the screw cap ordinarily applied thereto and to provide means for preventing the discharge of the material after the desired quantity is ejected, which leads to unsanitary conditions.

These objects are efiected by the use of one or more springs placed inside the neck of the tube and which act to close the discharge opening except when pressure is applied to t e tube.

The inigantion is illustaatgdn the a1ccoman g rawin s in w 10 1gure 1s a ecti ial view o f one form of the device. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification. Fig. 3 is a similar view of another modification. Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 aredetails of one of the springs.

Referrin s ecifically to the drawings, 6 indicates t e ody of the collapsible tube and 7 the neck thereof, the latter being relatively rigid, and having an outlet slot 8 at the end.

As shown in Fig. 1, I place a pair of fiat springilplates 9 in the neck of the tube. Each plate as at its front end an ofiset part 10,

'and at its rear end has two lateral projections 11. The springs are set in the neck in such manner that they incline toward each other and meet just behind or within the opening 8 at the mouth of the tube, and normally they press together so that the ofl'set parts 10 close the opening 8. The springs are fastened in the tube by setting the lugs 11 in grooves indicated at 12 in the opposite walls of the neck, and are frictionally held in the position described.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 only one spring 9 is used, and it is bent Suficiently to normally extend across the bore of the neck with the ofiset 10 behind the discharge slot 8. In the form shown in Fig. 3, the springs 9 have no offsets-at their front ends, but project in straight or parallel lines in contact into the mouth 8 of the tube, as indicated at 10".

In all the forms, the springs are wide enough to normally close the mouth of the tube. When the tube is compressed, the pressure of the material forces the springs apart, in the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or forces aside the single spring shown in Fig. 2, thereby uncovering the slot 8 and permitting the material to escape through the same. When the pressure is released, the springs resume the normal position and prevent further escape or leakage of the material. The use of a cap is unnecessary although it may be applied if desired.

I claim:

1. A collapsible tube having a discharge opening, and a spring plate located within the tube and. extending across such opening and movable laterally by pressure of the material in the tube to uncover such opening.

2. A collapsible tube having a neck and discharge outlet at the end thereof, of a spring plate fixed in the neck and projecting at an inclination adjacent to said opening, and movable laterally by pressure flow of the material through the neck to uncover said outlet.

3. A collapsible tube having a relatively rigid neck and a discharge outlet at the end thereof, and a spring fixed at its rear end in the neck and extending forwardly at an inclination toward said outlet, with its front end normally obstructing said outlet, the spring being yieldable laterally by pressure pf the material in the tubeto open said out- 4. A collapsible tube having an outlet at the front end thereof, and a flat spring cutofi fixed in the tube and projecting at an angle toward said outlet, and having an ofiset part at its front end which normally closes said outlet, the spring being movable laterally by pressure flow of-the material in the tube to uncover and open said outlet.

5. A collapsible tube having a discharge.

outlet at the front end thereof, and a pair In testimony whereof, I do aflix my sigof comlm'ginghsprini plgtis fixed it their nature in presence of two witnesses.

rear en s to t e nee an avin 0 sets at their front ends adapted to nonially close EDWARD VOLK' the outlet, said. springs being yieldable lat- \Vitnesses:

erally by pressure of material in the tube to JOHN A. BOMMHARDT,

open the outlet. G. W. ROSENBERG. 

